Arissa and I had lunch at PS Cafe in Dempsey a while ago. I really like the eateries at Dempsey. While they might be rather pricey, I find that it’s well worth it to be able to idle somewhere quiet, away from all the hustle and bustle of the city.

I love drinking tea, especially Longan tea. It has been a while since I have tasted it!

I’ve had a handful of people asking me where I purchased this bag in the previous post as well as on formspring. Truth is, I really do not remember the exact shop unit or name, but it’s on the second or third floor in Far East Plaza. It comes in white as well, for those who are interested.

I understand that this outfit is rather shapeless and baggy, but there are honestly days when I just want to be shapeless and baggy. Things are really more cooling that way, to be honest.

✖ Jacket: H&M
✖ Camisole: Cotton On
✖ Dress: Hong Kong
✖ Tights: TopShop
✖ Shoes: H&M

We choose outdoor sitting because we wanted natural lighting for the photos, but what a bad choice that turned out to be. I do not recommend it unless you are feeling especially charitable that day and wish to donate a few pints of blood to starving mosquitoes. In that case, be my guest. I swear those vermin can bite through demin if they put their minds too it. We were so horribly bitten that day that once we got into a cab, the cab driver wordlessly pulled out medicated oil for us. I guess it pays to be prepared. I don’t know about you, but I think I am arming myself with bug spray the next time I’m foolhardy enough to sit outdoors again.

Randomly, I am in love with this Proenza Schouler coordinate!

All black? Check.
Thigh high socks? Check.
Fierce shoes? Check.
Sleek silhouette? Check

Now I just need to attain that ridiculously small waist.

Yes, yes.. I know we had one not too long ago, but I don’t think I am alone in loving such posts. Everyone has a certain streak of voyeurism in their nature, so here’s my bag contents for your viewing pleasure!

We might not have extreme seasonal changes in Singapore, but I find myself changing the contents of my bag to reflect the fact that autumn is creeping up upon us! The fall is definitely my favourite season – The colours are so rich and I really wish I could watch the leaves turn. I am also taking this chance to show off the new bag I’ve bought! I really wish I could afford to buy the PS1 from Proenza Schouler, but this inspired bag will do in the meantime. I love it – it’s roomy but not clumsy, and it fits an iPad perfectly.

What’s in my bag: Clockwise from the top

✖ Audio Technica headphones. I don’t always play music on it. Sometimes it just functions as a noise-cancelling device when I’m taking public transport. I hate that some earbuds “leak” sound and everyone in a 1o mile radius can hear what you are playing. Headphones keeps the sound in and out.

✖ Makeup Pouch. I believe the pouch is a freebie from Burberry when my mum bought their perfume or something. It’s made of a sturdy, waterproof material and it keeps spillages in. I don’t believe in spending a lot of money on makeup pouches. They always end up getting dirty and stained from my makeup spilling anyway. The sturdy material prevents my makeup from getting knocked around too much.

✖ Makeup. Just lipsticks and lipglosses and a compact powder. I keep a spare tube of eyelash glue in my bag as well as I wear false lashes often.

✖ Nail polish top coat from seche vite. Tights are a staple in my closet during the fall, and a coat of clear nail polish prevents snags from ruining my stockings! When you see a run in your stockings, applying some clear nail polish along the edges will prevent it from laddering further.

✖ Bobby pins. I love to wear jackets and scarves when the weather turns chilly. However, static in the collars and scarves causes my hair to tangle horribly around my neck. It’s a literally a pain to brush out and it damages your hair horribly. I very much prefer to bun my hair up to prevent this from happening. I have light brown pins to match my hair colour.

✖ Money. I like to just dump money in my bag and forget about them. It’s a cheap thrill to find money randomly stashed in your purse months later and I love how happy it makes me.

✖ DS Lite which I’ve stolen from my brother. (Come on, it’s red anyway.) My favourite games are Animal Crossing, Mario Kart and Guilty Gear. I used to love to play Taiko but I think I’ve ruined my LR buttons.

✖ Pens and markers. I always, always have a pen with me. To what purpose? I’m not too sure myself. It’s just really handy to have around in the event that you need to fill up forms or to jot down thoughts. Yes, I know this is the 21st century and there are electronic devices, but I just really really love to write things down. Markers are for decorating polaroids.

✖ Wallet and iPhone. Of course. The wallet is a birthday gift from my awesome friends – I really can’t bear to change it because of the sentimental value. I stuff so many cards/receipts in there that it’s really hard to close.

✖ Hairspray. In case of rainy days and in case of muggers.

✖ Silence of the Lambs. One of my favourite movies/novels ever. I am a big fan of the Hannibal series.

What are the staples in your bag this fall?

Dawn and I took a self-proclaimed holiday from blogging to reflect a little bit on the direction we’re heading.

It seems that in the blogosphere, traffic means more than anything, sure enough having more readers does mean that more people appreciate your work and writings but in the midst of trying to generate posts more frequently, we kinda lost ourselves and it felt as though we were compromising the quality of our blog posts.

This little break also made us realise that we really just love shooting pictures and trying to show people how black outfits can be interesting.

This outfit post is from one of those little outings we had in Haji Lane, as you can see, we do really enjoy this gritty little lane.

Overworn shoes and bag. Which reminded me that I have yet to showcase these awesome shoes that I bought just the other day. I can’t wait!

Oh yeah, over worn harness too. Does anyone have the problem of wanting to wear the same item over and over cause you like it so much?

Black outfit Breakdown:

• Dress: Threadbare & Squirrel (Haji Lane)
• Harness: Wonderwool (Haji Lane)
• Bag: Far East plaza
• Shoes: Jeffrey Campbell
• Accessories: m)phosis, Diva, Marc Jacobs

I’d have to say, it’s not everyday that you try to check the weather so that you can dress appropriately in Singapore cause it usually fluctuates between 30-32°C anyway. So there we were, caught off guard about what to wear for the day that we would describe as “cold” in Singapore. This is how difficult it can be to master the art of streetstyle in Singapore.

So Dawn and I chose to be seated outdoors while having dinner and this draft bothered us so much that we decided to check the temperature. It was freezing 25°C, don’t get us wrong, we’ve both been through sub-zero temperatures before but something below 30°C is not within our calculations in Singapore.

Wearing a mish-mash of my favorite accessories. If you’re wondering why I haven’t gotten the iPhone 4 yet, it’s cause the white one isn’t released in Singapore yet. /sadface

Just lopped off more than 5 inches of hair off yesterday. It isn’t terribly drastic but well, I am kinda missing the length.

Black Outfit Breakdown:

• Camisole: Old Navy
• Sheer top with frills: Bugis Village (seems to be a copy of a top from Topshop)
• Jeans: Forever 21
• Harness: Wonderwool (Haji Lane)
• Shoes: Jeffrey Campbell (I seem to be determined to wear them to death these days)
• Accessories: Surface to Air Ring, Marc Jacobs, , m)phosis
• Bag: Alexa knockoff from Far East Plaza

While etsy is picking up on the western hemisphere, I think it still remains rather unheard of this side of the world. (In a nutshell, etsy is like ebay, except that all of its products are catered uniquely to consumers looking for handmade and vintage accessories and clothing, rather than the heaps of mass-produced goods that tend to flood ebay.) If you are looking for unique accessories and personalized services, etsy is the place for you. Surfing through etsy can be an extremely daunting task at first. Half of the time I wasn’t even sure what to look for, much less where. Hence, I’ve decided to put together a list of my top 5 etsy accessories shops, with my choice selection!

1) Abigail A. Percy Jewellery

I simply adore jewellery that is organic looking and inspired by nature. Pieces like these are bold enough for people to take notice, but subtle enough to compliment most outfits without taking the focus away from it. Accessories like this suits a wide variety of styles, and you can wear it both casually, as well as a statement piece in a formal outfit. The earrings would be a perfect fall accessory with loosely tied hair and a light scarf. It is classic and very wearable, hence earning the top spot in my list of top 5 etsy shops!

2) Moon Raven Designs

I’ll be perfectly honest here. The only reason why this is second on my list of top 5 etsy accessory shops is because it is slightly less wearable on a daily basis. Other than that, this is my personal number 1 on  etsy!

I’ve never seen any designs quite like these. They are a mix of macabre and beauty. I love how delicate and fragile these designs seem, even if they are made to resemble chameleon skulls and severed bird’s feet. These are pieces that are not obtrusive on their own, but will take your breath away upon closer inspection. These accessories will never go out of fashion and I certainly view them as being investments. The prices are actually very reasonable as well, surprisingly! If I were to get these (which will most likely happen) I will wear them with everything.

3)  BloodMilk

“Supernatural designs for the surrealist darlings”. Their shop description just about sums it up perfectly.

Look at how the sparrow claws are replicated down to every little wrinkle in the skin. On first glance, I thought the double rings were made to look like interlocking ulna and radius bones. It’s only upon closer inspection that I realized that they were in fact hummingbird skulls! I simply love how exquisite these pieces look. If I can afford to buy every single item in this store, I certainly would.

4) Anne Ardent McDonald

By now, you should realize that I have a penchant for accessories inspired by nature and human anatomy. At first glance, I wasn’t very impressed by the selection of jewellery in this store, but if there’s one trick you must learn when surfing etsy, it is to keep your eyes open. The perfect accessories could be hiding in the least likely of stores!

It’s amazing how many designs can revolve around the basic theme of the human anatomy. These unique pieces definitely earned their place in my list of top 5 etsy accessories shops!

5) Paradise Findings

I had such hard time looking for steampunk accessories until I’ve stumbled upon Etsy. Once again, these items are actually very reasonably priced for the amount of work that has obviously gone into it! With these, you can bet that you won’t be seeing anyone wearing the same accessory any time soon.

What are your favourite shops on etsy? What do you like to buy there?